Day 3
June 3, 2004
Victory #1! I made it up and over McKenzie Pass! It wasn’t too terrible – I wouldn’t want to do it again – but I did it. The wobble from the injured front wheel was a pain, but I was able to manage. The worst part about it was the shear length of the climb. 22 miles to the top, I’d say that’s a little much. But the good thing about it was there were a lot of switchbacks that I was able to take advantage of, if it were a straight shot up I’d still be there.
I wanted to get moving a little earlier than I did. I got up and moving around 8:30 and began packing everything up. It’s a bit of a bear to break down camp and get on the road. I hope I get more efficient in doing that as I do it more. I still hadn’t decided which route I was going to take when I got on the road. Before I came to the point of no return I stopped in a little country store to get a little protein and to fill my water bottles. In the store I asked two guys what they thought about McKenzie Pass versus the alternate. They said McKenzie would actually be better: less traveled road, not so much a straight shot, shorter in distance. They pretty much made up my mind. After a call to my mom, I headed for the beast.
On of the best lessons from today was to be sure to eat when you have the chance. For breakfast I had oatmeal, then I got some Beef Jerky and a 20oz Coke at the country store, I also had some sunflower seeds and that 3 Musketeers bar from yesterday, and that was all I had to tackle the climb with; I came to find that wasn’t enough. It was a tough, tough hill. Constant. There were multiple times I went to downshift only to find I was already burning the granny gear. About 4 miles from the top it leveled off quite a bit, but I was so beat I could barely even continue. I’d stop to get my legs under me again, get back on the bike and have to stop again less than 50 yards back on it. And it wasn’t in a spot with a particularly rough grade; I was just spent. You do a lot of praying when you’re in a situation like that and it’s a good thing they don’t go unheard. I know I couldn’t have made it to the top without a little extra help. So a big Thank You to the Big Guy upstairs for the extra shot of energy!
So what do you get when you finally summit a monster like that? A view you only find in books. I couldn’t believe the mountains…amazing. I’ve never seen anything like that in person before. That, paired with the indescribable feeling of actually reaching the top…just, a formula for a feeling you can’t put into words.
You’d be surprised to find the ride down off the mountain was much easier than the ride up. Um…yeah! It was great. I was a little worried about that front wheel in the beginning, but it didn’t take long for me to lay off the brake and just enjoy the wonderful benefits of gravity. I did have one little frightening moment coming down, but we’ll save that for later...
Sisters is where I’ve set up for the night. It’s a cute little town, a “tourist trap” as one local termed it. After a great burger at the Depot Deli I went on a hunt to find a campsite. I passed a guy on a bike and asked him where a good spot was to camp. He asked what I was looking for and I told him just a safe spot to pitch a tent. He told me about a campground a few miles up the road and also showed me this forest where I could camp for the night. After mulling over it for a while, I decided to stay here and camp out in the forest.
This is definitely the first time I’ve just camped out in the middle of nowhere. I’m not exactly in the middle of the wilderness, I can see the lights of a hotel in the distance; but still, it’s not an official campground or anything. And I saw a deer as I was gathering firewood, my first four-legged friend of the trip. There’s something really great about a campfire; I can’t describe it. It’s a great night and all the stars out here are amazing.
Today was a great day, very rewarding, the first real sense of accomplishment and “this is what it’s all about”–ness of the trip.
Today: 51.05 miles Total: 183.77
Victory #1! I made it up and over McKenzie Pass! It wasn’t too terrible – I wouldn’t want to do it again – but I did it. The wobble from the injured front wheel was a pain, but I was able to manage. The worst part about it was the shear length of the climb. 22 miles to the top, I’d say that’s a little much. But the good thing about it was there were a lot of switchbacks that I was able to take advantage of, if it were a straight shot up I’d still be there.
I wanted to get moving a little earlier than I did. I got up and moving around 8:30 and began packing everything up. It’s a bit of a bear to break down camp and get on the road. I hope I get more efficient in doing that as I do it more. I still hadn’t decided which route I was going to take when I got on the road. Before I came to the point of no return I stopped in a little country store to get a little protein and to fill my water bottles. In the store I asked two guys what they thought about McKenzie Pass versus the alternate. They said McKenzie would actually be better: less traveled road, not so much a straight shot, shorter in distance. They pretty much made up my mind. After a call to my mom, I headed for the beast.
On of the best lessons from today was to be sure to eat when you have the chance. For breakfast I had oatmeal, then I got some Beef Jerky and a 20oz Coke at the country store, I also had some sunflower seeds and that 3 Musketeers bar from yesterday, and that was all I had to tackle the climb with; I came to find that wasn’t enough. It was a tough, tough hill. Constant. There were multiple times I went to downshift only to find I was already burning the granny gear. About 4 miles from the top it leveled off quite a bit, but I was so beat I could barely even continue. I’d stop to get my legs under me again, get back on the bike and have to stop again less than 50 yards back on it. And it wasn’t in a spot with a particularly rough grade; I was just spent. You do a lot of praying when you’re in a situation like that and it’s a good thing they don’t go unheard. I know I couldn’t have made it to the top without a little extra help. So a big Thank You to the Big Guy upstairs for the extra shot of energy!
So what do you get when you finally summit a monster like that? A view you only find in books. I couldn’t believe the mountains…amazing. I’ve never seen anything like that in person before. That, paired with the indescribable feeling of actually reaching the top…just, a formula for a feeling you can’t put into words.
You’d be surprised to find the ride down off the mountain was much easier than the ride up. Um…yeah! It was great. I was a little worried about that front wheel in the beginning, but it didn’t take long for me to lay off the brake and just enjoy the wonderful benefits of gravity. I did have one little frightening moment coming down, but we’ll save that for later...
Sisters is where I’ve set up for the night. It’s a cute little town, a “tourist trap” as one local termed it. After a great burger at the Depot Deli I went on a hunt to find a campsite. I passed a guy on a bike and asked him where a good spot was to camp. He asked what I was looking for and I told him just a safe spot to pitch a tent. He told me about a campground a few miles up the road and also showed me this forest where I could camp for the night. After mulling over it for a while, I decided to stay here and camp out in the forest.
This is definitely the first time I’ve just camped out in the middle of nowhere. I’m not exactly in the middle of the wilderness, I can see the lights of a hotel in the distance; but still, it’s not an official campground or anything. And I saw a deer as I was gathering firewood, my first four-legged friend of the trip. There’s something really great about a campfire; I can’t describe it. It’s a great night and all the stars out here are amazing.
Today was a great day, very rewarding, the first real sense of accomplishment and “this is what it’s all about”–ness of the trip.
Today: 51.05 miles Total: 183.77
posted by SuperByron3000 at 6/04/2005
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